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  • The Data Dialogue: An Interactive View of Access and Barriers to Women's Healthcare

The Data Dialogue: An Interactive View of Access and Barriers to Women's Healthcare

October 29, 2020 | United Way Team

See how Women United helps women in need in our community.

With Women United’s annual Power of the Purse successfully taking on a virtual format in September, it is a great time to highlight all of the important ways the 338 member coalition provides support to the community. Last fiscal year, over $235,000 were raised and distributed to programs helping improve access to healthcare. Below are just a few of the ways that was accomplished:

  • 1,653 women received prescription assistance
  • 1,705 women received health navigation and care coordination
  • 2,529 women received co-pay assistance
  • 85,000 diapers were distributed from the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank in response to increased need due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The need for support still exists, however, especially among different demographics where disparities in health exist. Below is an interactive look at multiple demographics that can be filtered by county.

For instance, by clicking Benton County on the map, you can see there are 1) 480 single mother households with children and 2) the rate of uninsured women under age 19 is lower than the five-county region as a whole. (Click on Benton County again to get back to the original view.) Across the five-county region, Black women are disproportionately living in poverty. This unfortunate circumstance is not new or unique to our community.[1] Work is being done to reach diverse members of the community, though. Improved access to health is needed among single mothers, uninsured women, and minority populations living in poverty. This information is crucial for pinpointing where the greatest disparities exist.

Approximately 45% of all women that received help from programs funded in part by Women United identified as a race other than white.

If you move to the next tab titled, Demographics, the stark gap between the overall median household income and the median single mother household income is clear. The gender pay gap was discussed deeper in last year’s data dialogue, Fighting for the Well-Being of Women. Lower incomes for female workers despite equal education levels and abilities persist. Women United is determined to ensure these women receive improved access to healthcare. Disparities in health are closely related to disparities in income so it is important to reach these groups of women, as was successfully accomplished last year.

Approximately 64% of all women that received help from programs funded in part by Women United lived under 100% of the federal poverty line (less than $22,000 of annual income on average). *

Feel free to explore the rest of the project by taking a look at the next two tabs titled, “Healthcare & Insurance,” and “Access & Barriers” then learn more about Women United here or read their FY20 Annual Report. Please consider joining this passionate group in helping remove barriers to healthcare for women in our community.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WOMEN UNITED ❯❯❯


[1] U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population survey, 1960 to 2020 Annual Social and Economic Supplement

*Of those that reported income data